Articles: traumatic-brain-injuries.
-
Journal of neurotrauma · Jan 2016
Early CT frontal abnormalities predict long term neurobehavioral problems but not affective problems after moderate to severe TBI.
Behavioral problems are serious consequences of moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and have a negative impact on outcome. There may be two types: neurobehavioral problems, manifesting as inadequate social behavior resulting from prefrontal system damage, and affective behavioral problems, resulting from emotional distress as a reaction to the brain injury. In the present study we investigated whether these two types of behavioral problems, as indicated by proxies, could be distinguished in a group of chronic TBI patients and whether early indicators of prefrontal damage on imaging could predict long-term neurobehavioral problems. ⋯ Long-term neurobehavioral problems were significantly correlated to one-year outcome and return to work in the long term. We conclude that in patients with moderate to severe TBI neurobehavioral and affective problems can be distinguished. Early CT frontal abnormalities predict long-term neurobehavioral problems, but not affective problems.
-
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability in the USA. Common causes of TBI include falls, violence, injuries from wars, and vehicular and sporting accidents. ⋯ MRI has been used to image anatomical, physiological, and functional changes associated with TBI in a longitudinal manner. This chapter describes controlled cortical impact (CCI) TBI surgical procedures, a few common MRI protocols used in TBI imaging, and, finally, image analysis pertaining to experimental TBI imaging in rats.
-
NeuroImage. Clinical · Jan 2016
Brain volume loss contributes to arousal and empathy dysregulation following severe traumatic brain injury.
Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) often leads to deficits in physiological arousal and empathy, which are thought to be linked. This study examined whether injury-related brain volume loss in key limbic system structures is associated with these deficits. Twenty-four adults with TBI and 24 matched Controls underwent MRI scans to establish grey matter volumes in the amygdala, thalamus, and hippocampus. ⋯ Regional brain volumes were differentially correlated to arousal and self-report empathy. Importantly, lower volume in pertinent brain structures correlated with lower empathy, for participants with and without TBI. Overall we provide new insights into empathic processes after TBI and their relationship to brain volume loss.
-
Frontiers in neurology · Jan 2016
Exposure to a Predator Scent Induces Chronic Behavioral Changes in Rats Previously Exposed to Low-level Blast: Implications for the Relationship of Blast-Related TBI to PTSD.
Blast-related mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) has been unfortunately common in veterans who served in the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The postconcussion syndrome associated with these mTBIs has frequently appeared in combination with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The presence of PTSD has complicated diagnosis, since clinically, PTSD and the postconcussion syndrome of mTBI have many overlapping symptoms. ⋯ Here, we show that a single predator scent challenge delivered 8 months after the last blast exposure induces chronic anxiety related changes in blast-exposed rats that are still present 45 days later. These observations suggest that in addition to independently inducing PTSD-related traits, blast exposure sensitizes the brain to react abnormally to a subsequent psychological stressor. These studies have implications for conceptualizing the relationship between blast-related mTBI and PTSD and suggest that blast-related mTBI in humans may predispose to the later development of PTSD in reaction to subsequent psychological stressors.